Power-operated magazine wrench



Nov. 4, 1952 0. 5. SPRENG 2,616,322

POWER-OPERATED MAGAZINE WRENCH 7 Filed Feb. 17, 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET l Inventor Char/es Gaff/fab Spreng By w 4, 1952 c. G. SPRENG 2, 6,

' POWER-OPERATED MAGAZINE WRENCH Filed Feb. 17, 1949 2 $HEETSSHEET 2 Fig.3.

Inventor Char/es Goff/fab Spreng (ma paw; 25 M a readily adjustable overload release Patented Nov. 4, 195 2 UNITED 'S PATENT "OFFICE.

intimates-liars MAGAZINE WRENCH Cliarles Gottlieli Spren'g; .Denis'onp Iowa Apifliiind i efiriiary 17, i949;saarm wym *3 Claim's. (char-52:49 V

wrench.

A further important obj ect of the-invention is to provide a magazine'wrenc hfav a' readily applied or removed overload release couplingfor applying nuts with apredetermiri'ed'fbrce to bolts and'studs. V v

Yet another object of tlfrejiitlve itiprifisjto' provide a magazine wrench which shallbeppeiated by a non-reversible powerdrlveg H H g A still further object ofth'e'iirventionis 'to provide a wrench in 'accordancewiththepreceding object but which shall'be'capaljl efofready'adaptation and rearrangement offits"componentsffioif selectively driving the magazihe'wrencli in" reverse directions as desired.

A stillfurther object" of ma ntain-n isto pro vide a magazine wrench in conformity; with" the foregoing objects but hereinQthere' is'provided i'icl'lj for preventing the application of greatei than' a; 1 redetermined force to a nutwhile the same isbeing:-

threaded upon a bolt or stud v I H And a final important'obiectjoftheinvention I to be specificallynumeratedhereinlis' to provide a magazine wrench which is capable of operation either manuallyor'by power and wlie rein' there is provided an improvedyieldahlenutretaining means. r These, together with various ancillary features and objects of the invention"whicliwilllaterbecome apparent as the following descriptionjproceeds, are attained'by this'device,"alpreferred'embodiment of which has been ill'u' st'rat edfby way of example in the accompanyingw'drawings,wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevationallview of a preferred embodiment f the impr ed magazine-4 wrench in accordance with" the'principles of thisinv t 'm' Figure 2 is a top plan view of thear'rangement of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a. vertical longitiidinal secti onal nne'pa" ofFigure 3 and slibwin'gfin particiilaf iba" the irreversible driving mechanism for the 'maga- Figurefiisa-groupperspective'or assemblyview "oithe' components of the overload release clutch forming apart of the invention;

Figure" 6' is a horizontal sectionar view taken su'bstantiallyupon the plane" of thesection line '66 of Figure 3 and showing in"particularthe arrangement and mounting of the're'silie'nt' nut retaining means forthe magazine of' the device;

Land

U Fi'gure'j'7 is aperspectiveview of the nut retainingfresilient" member forming an element of the=invention.

Referring nowmore specifically to theaccompanyi'ng" drawings, wherein like numerals designate similar parts throughoutthe various views, attention'is direct ed "first to Figure 1 wherein the numeral Ill" designates generally'the gearing assembly' unit for driving the" magazine wrench, through'the agency'ofa driving m'ember l2, while the'numeral l4 designates generallythe' overload "release coupling "which is interpose'd" between the drivingassembly l0 and the magazine'wrench' l6.

Referring now more particularly to j Figures 3 and" 4, it will be understood that the member I 2 which constitutes a" source of "power for operating the power operated magazine wrench; may coin- ,prise the terminala'nd connecting portion" of a flexible shaft, or any other connecting member 'by'means of which a prime mover, not shown,

and which may convenientlyco'mprise aportable hand type of electric drill or the like, is coni nected byf an enlarged socketedf end'por'tion" I8 having a non-circular socket orrecess 20" th'ei'ein for the reception of a correspondingly shaped ext'remityZZ by means of which the wrench gearing isloperated.

The gear casingv ID' includes a container' 24 of sheet metal or the like, and which is provided with a removable closure '261'at' one side thereof,

which is providedwith inturned flanges 28 by v means of which the closure is removably retained upon the casing 24 as by screws 30 or the like.

Also providedon the closure 26,,is a conventional form oflubricant fitting 32 "by means orwhi'ch grease" on lubricant may" be supplied to'the' interio'r of thgear"casing'for'lubricating' the parts therein; v

I The" casing 24 is" preferably provided with a bushing 34 forming a journal bearingi'whi'ch together" with'the grease retaining packing'ring 3 6,rotatablyreceives the bearingportions 'ii B and gnfwnreby'is journaled atransverseiy disposed wormge'ar '42; whose-cuter extremity is provided with the previously mentioned non-circular portion 22 by means of which the worm gear is rotated.

This worm gear is continuously in mesh with gear teeth 44 constituting a pinion formed upon a rotor 46 in the form of a disk or the like, which rotor as shown in Figure 3 is provided with oppositely and axially extending sleeve or hub portions 48 and 50 which extend through the upper and lower walls of the gear casing 24. Suitable oil retaining washers or packings 52 and 54 are provided between the opposite sides of the rotor and the upper and lower walls of the gear casing.

The extending sleeves are provided with sockets which are non-circular in cross section, as indicated at 56 and 58, and either of which may be selectively engaged by a similarly shaped axial extension 60 formed upon and carried by the closed end wall portion 62 of a cup-shaped member 64.

This cup-shaped member which constitutes the casing of the overload release clutch coupling previously mentioned, is internally threaded at its open end as at 66 and upon the inner surface of its end wall as at 68 has rigidly secured thereto a friction lining H1 in the form of a disk or the like. Loosely received within the hollow interior of the member 64, is a metallic disk 12 to which is rigidly attached in any suitable manner a driving stem 16 which is loosely received in the central aperture of a steel washer l4 constituting a bearing for the lower surface of the disk 12. The steel washer i4, and thereby the disk 12 and stem 16 are retained within the interior of the cup-shaped member 64 by an externally screw threaded packing member or gland Tl, through which loosely and rotatably extends the stem 16. The lower end of the stem 16 is preferably squared as at 78 to provide means for effecting a snap fitting engagement in the socketed end 80 of a nut magazine 82 which forms the wrench member of the device.

As shown in Figure 3, the magazine 82 is of a non-circular shape in cross section, which shape corresponds to the shape of the particular nuts which the wrench is intended to manipulate, these nuts being indicated therein as at 84.

The member 82 may be of any desired length, and it is contemplated that various dimensions of such magazines may be employed whereby the wrench is capable of applying nuts of different dimensions. At its lower end, the magazine 82 is provided with lateral slots 86 and a resilient nut retaining member, of the construction indicated in Figures 6 and 7, is adapted to have inwardly curved and resiliently inwardly urged portions 68 received and retained in the slots 86 for retaining yieldingly in the magazine 82 the previously mentioned nuts 84.

The spring member 98 having the portions 88 is adapted to snugly embrace the periphery of the magazine l6, as will be apparent from Figures 1 and 6, whereby the inwardly curved portions 88 are adapted to be yieldingly urged and retained in the slots 85 to thereby retain the member in position in the magazine, as well as to provide a yielding obstruction preventing unintentional removal of the nuts 84 from the magazine, and yet permitting a nut to be forcibly withdrawn from the magazine as desired.

The operation of the device previously described is as follows. With the member 22 inserted in the socket 26 of the driving member 4 l2 connected with a suitable source of power, the rotor 46 will be power driven in an irreversible manner. By a suitable connecting member, not shown, the socketed end of the magazine 82 may be connected with either of the sockets 56 or 58 of the rotor, whereby the magazine wrench may be driven in either direction as desired. However, it is preferred to connect the socket 80 to the rotor 46 by the interposition therebetween of the overload release coupling I4. For this purpose, the terminal portions 60 and 18 of the clutch coupling are respectively seated in one of the sockets 56 or 58 and in the socketed portion 80 of the magazine 82, whereby the magazine may be rotated by the member l2 in either direction- It will be noted that the gland Ti retains the clutch or coupling elements within the cup-shaped. member 64, and by means of adjusting the gland ll within the screw threads 66, any predetermined pressure may be applied between the disk 12 and the friction lining 10, whereby a frictional driving engagement is established between the inner surface 68, the lining 10 rigidly attached thereto, and the disk 12 frictionally coupled to the lining, whereby the stem 16 will rotate the magazine 82. However, when the nut has been tightened upon a bolt or stud with a force determined by the frictional driving force exerted by the lining 10 on the disk I2, a slippage will occur between these parts of the clutch member, to thereby prevent the application of greater than a predetermined force to the nut being tightened.

When it is desired to operate the wrench manually, it is merely necessary to remove the gear casing 16 and apply a suitable handle to the extension 66, or if desired to also remove the overload release coupling I4 and apply a suitable handle to the socket 80, to thereby manually manipulate the magazine wrench.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will be readily understood. It will be seen that the device is particularly adapted for use in assembly line operation as for rapidly applying a plurality of identical nuts with the same force to studs or bolts, as for applying head bolts to automobile engines in manufacturers assembly lines.

However, the device obviously lends itself to many other uses where the advantages of selective power. or manual operation, easy reversibility, and adjustable overload releasing of the drive of the wrench are important desideratum.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will be readily understood and further explanation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art after a consideration of the foregoing specification and accompanying drawings, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, but all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the claimed as new is:

1. A power operated magazine wrench comprising a casing having a rotor journaled therein and having socketed ends extending through opposite walls of said casing, means journaled invention, what is in said casing and extending exteriorly thereof plurality of nuts therein, means detachably and drivingly connecting said magazine selectively to one of the socketed ends of said rotor.

2. A power operated magazine wrench comprising a casing having a rotor journaled therein and having socketed ends extending through opposite walls of said casing, means journaled in said casing and extending exteriorly thereof for driving said rotor, a magazine for slidably and non-rotatably receiving and retaining a plurality of nuts therein, means detachably and drivingly connecting said magazine selectively to one of the socketed ends of said rotor, said last means including an adjustable overload release coupling, said coupling having connections for attachment to said rotor and to said magazine.

3. A power operated magazine wrench comprising a casing having a rotor journaled therein and having socketed ends extending through opposite walls of said casing, means journaled in said casing and extending exteriorly thereof for driving said rotor, a magazine for slidably and non-rotatably receiving and retaining a plurality of nuts therein, means detachably and drivingly connecting said magazine selectively to one of the socketed ends of said rotor, said magazine comprising a casing having a nut receiving chamber open at its lower end and of non-circular cross section, lateral slots extending through said casing at its open end, a spring nut retaining clip embracing said casing and having portions extending through said slots into said chamber for yieldingly embracing a nut therein.

CHARLES GOT'I'LIEB SPRENG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 458,408 Schwanhaus'ser Aug. 25, 1891 857,632 Kihlgren June 25, 1907 1,537,929 Lee May 12, 1925 1,698,618 Bigelow Jan 8, 1929 2,429,569 Stewart Oct. 21, 1947 2,501,386 Gibbs Mar. 21, 1950 

